President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Going 'Totally Baldacious' In Solidarity with Cancer Patients

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- John Walter, President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has committed to shaving his head and raising a minimum of $50,000 from friends, family, neighbors, and business associates for doing so as part of LLS's new Totally Baldacious (www.totallybaldacious.org) campaign.

"I have worked at LLS for more than 15 years and I believe in its mission with every bone in my body and every hair on my head," Walter said. "And I'm prepared to sacrifice those hairs to show in no uncertain terms just how much I care about helping people with cancer live longer, healthier lives."

"Totally Baldacious!," which began this week (www.totallybaldacious.com) to coincide with Valentine's Day and runs through the month, is a new LLS fundraising campaign where guys (and girls) can shave their head; gals (and guys) can lighten or color their hair; already bald guys can wear a temporary tattoo on their head and guys with beards or moustaches can shave or color them. There is an online component in which participants can "virtually" bald their social networking profile and dare others to shave one for the team, or to support their fundraising efforts. Participants set a fundraising goal, ask family and friends for donations, and then go Totally Baldacious! Follow the campaign through the @LLS blog on www.lls.org, the Totally Baldacious Fan Page on Facebook, or the @baldacious Twitter profile to participate in the online buzz.

"The Totally Baldacious campaign is a personal way to demonstrate your support for cancer patients who lose their hair while undergoing treatment," said Walter, who sports a full head of blond hair. "In these difficult economic times, nonprofits need to find innovative ways to keep raising awareness and funds. We are pushing this campaign out through social networking channels and use of a unique 'Be Baldacious' widget to get our message out and encourage it to go viral."

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS)is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.